Smoking a small brisket on BBQ

[Tungsten,]

Im going to try for the first time a brisket.about 2.5 lb.
Plan is to smoke on bbq about 3 hrs at 200F,until internal temp of 150F,next wrap in foil and some juice until I get a an internal temp of 190-200 ish.Remove wrap in towel let sit for an hour.

This i get from reading the net,does this sound right?

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by Tungsten,

Im going to try for the first time a brisket.about 2.5 lb.
Plan is to smoke on bbq about 3 hrs at 200F,until internal temp of 150F,next wrap in foil and some juice until I get a an internal temp of 190-200 ish.Remove wrap in towel let sit for an hour.

This i get from reading the net,does this sound right?

Your temps are fine. This is a small piece of meat so cooking hotter than that you will risk killing it. Do not go by time at all and use strictly internal meat temps. If possible, use a digital thermometer that can be left in the meat while it is on the BBQ with the display outside for easy viewing. Then you can leave the lid closed controlling your temps better. Opening and closing the lid constantly will lead to a poor cook, especially on such a small piece of meat as it will cool faster with the lid open than a larger piece.

I personally do not wrap until 160/165 degrees. I want as much time in the smoke as possible before wrapping and after lots of experimenting, that is the temps I find most consistent. Make sure you put a little moisture in the wrapping. I use beef bouillon with some of my rub mixed in. Sometimes a little bit of apple juice as well.

Again, while wrapped, leave thermometer in the meat rather than always opening the lid and poking it. I do not use final internal temp to decide when it is finished, but when it hits 190 internal I move to what is called the "toothpick test". Basically once it hits 190 I wil insert a toothpick into the thicker spots and if it can penetrate the meat with a feel like inserting it into room temperature butter, it is done. If there is a bit more resistance, I shoot it back in for another 5 degrees and check it again. Some meat is done earlier and some later. It comes down to the specific cut of meat. More fat, less fat, density etc will all affect when the meat is ready.

Lastly, when done leave the meat wrapped in foil and put a couple towels around it and toss it into a cooler to rest for at least 30 minutes, but I often go an hour or two. Resting the meat is crucial! Once rested, slice (or pull) and serve! Oh, I also like to pour all the juice that has accumulated in the foil over the sliced meat. DELICIOUS!!!

Good luck!

[wildrose]

Check out some more recipes on the web. check into brining the brisket and then smoking on BBQ with indirect heat Enjoy it should be good. I use my pellet smoker when I do my brisket.

[fishtank]

Doing small brisket is tricky especially on a bbq , if it get dry or turn out not as ideal ( taste or tenderness ) you can save it by put it in a slow cooker with some bbq sauce And some citrus juice still make A nice pulled brisket sandwich

[KyleSS]

One thing I prefer is to wrap it in non waxed butcher paper as opposed to tin foil. I find the outside of the brisket kind of gets soggy in the tin foil.

[Tungsten,]

I think I;ll start slow and low and see how the meat reacts.
Another question, do i want the smoke to be below the meat so it travels right over the meat?Being a BBQ if my smoke bomb is off to the side it really just goes straight up and out.I may block part of the vent to keep more smoke in.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by Tungsten,

I think I;ll start slow and low and see how the meat reacts.
Another question, do i want the smoke to be below the meat so it travels right over the meat?Being a BBQ if my smoke bomb is off to the side it really just goes straight up and out.I may block part of the vent to keep more smoke in.

If you are doing it on a bbq, have the bomb on one side and the meat on the other. The smoke bombs will eventually catch fire and if it is under your meat it will torch it. You still will need to watch carefully though because once it fires it will spike your temps.

Also, if your bbq has the ability, it is best to have no heat directly under the meat so light the one side for heat and have the meat on the opposite side so it is cooking indirectly.

[pikeman06]

I been smoking meats for decades and personally a 2.5 lb brisket goes in the oven or slow cooker. Every brisket is different and some should go in the garbage due to crazy fat content. Not trying to discourage you but on a barbecue it would be like cooking a big steak and you will end up with a tough product and if you wrap it it will be steamed almost. Hope it works out but that's a tricky chunk of protein to tackle.

[calgarygringo]

We just did a smaller chunk of brisket roast a few weeks a few weeks ago and did it sous vide for an experiment. Wife made a liquid smoke marinade to cook it in and I finished it on the BBQ. Turned out amazing. We were really surprised and were ready for failure but it was great. Did the mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies and had a great Sunday dinner for 2 plus leftovers.

[ganderblaster]

Originally Posted by KyleSS

One thing I prefer is to wrap it in non waxed butcher paper as opposed to tin foil. I find the outside of the brisket kind of gets soggy in the tin foil.

Yep! Makes a big difference

[bat119]

For low temperature cooking on the BBQ I bolt some racks from the smoker to the warming rack, put a pan of water on the lower rack, by only using two of the four burners it holds at 250* the water raises the humidity, place the smoke tube over one of the burners not being used.
Every brisket has a different stall I did one on the weekend it hit 151* stayed there for two hours, I double wrapped in tin foil raised to 300* until it hit 205* wrapped in a towel into a cooler for a couple hours it was still 160* but the crowd was hungry came out juicy and tender.

[DiabeticKripple]

Originally Posted by Sam20

Hey Tungsten, if you smoke a small brisket or a big brisket on the BBQ I'd recommend you ensure the meat is stored properly and avoid the temperature danger zone between 4°C (40°F) to 60°C (140°F). Here are some more food safety tips you can read and be aware of to avoid any foodborne illness.
Link : https://foodsafe4u.com/be-the-bbq-ma...g-your-guests/

Hmmm 1 post and you post a link to a different site?

Buh bye!

[HyperMOA]

Tire in’s advice is bang on. Wrap at 160ish. When it “dries out” and forms bark. Cook to probe tender as Tirebob described. I use my meat thermometer not a toothpick but exact same idea. You shouldn’t get any sticky or pulling on it, in or out. In my experience, that will bring you within a couple degrees of 203. 201-205. I’ve never seen brisket done at 190-anything.

Don’t bring to room temp. Out of the fridge, rub it, and immediately on your bbq.

Thin slices directly across the grain when done.

[Tungsten,]

Ah man this was 4 years ago,was it ever good.

Will have to do it again,worked really well on the bbq.

[Tungsten,]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

I been smoking meats for decades and personally a 2.5 lb brisket goes in the oven or slow cooker. Every brisket is different and some should go in the garbage due to crazy fat content. Not trying to discourage you but on a barbecue it would be like cooking a big steak and you will end up with a tough product and if you wrap it it will be steamed almost. Hope it works out but that's a tricky chunk of protein to tackle.

For my first try it was awesome,took over 12 hrs start to finish IIRC.
I remember running out of whisky ,so get a bigger bottle next time lol.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by Tungsten,

Ah man this was 4 years ago,was it ever good.

Will have to do it again,worked really well on the bbq.

Hahahaha. I never looked and got caught.